"Underneath the wires"

[rpsalmon]

I suppose that a practical way of testing to what degree overhead cables effect fish, is to take a goldfish in a bowl/jar underneath the wires and see what effect it has. Obviously you will need to have the owners permission to do this but I suspect he/she would probably want to watch. In England you would need the permission of the EA and I can tell you straight away that they wouldn't give it! Such an exercise may have to be repeated in order to ensure you performed the test while a current was actually going through the wires. Perhaps an electric meter or compass may help in confirming this sort of thing.

[robbie]

I now have a mental picture of a Goldfish whizzing around its bowl like a compass needle. Under the wires clockwise, out of the wires anti clockwise. Imagine the conversation in the pet-shop. On a serious note, this method would need to use more than one fish/bowl to be a serious experiment as your agitated goldfish may simply be p....d off and not affected by the wires but simply being transported about unhappily.

[rpsalmon]

This was a suggestion for a practical test, not a scientific one. However if the fish was settled in its bowl/jar away from the wires and is moved slowly and steadily, but becomes agitated or acts differently near or under the wires, surely that demonstrates an effect.

The actual number of stories (I've experienced some) of fish being held up below power lines are too numerous to ignore, on a practical angling basis we must concentrate our angling effort in such places (if you're careful and even then prepared to take the risk!). The only man made/industrial object that comes close to holding fish up is underwater gas pipelines, they often provide a tremendous "ease" for the fish.

(I liked the joke about the goldfish spinning round, hadn't thought of that one!)

[salmondan]

So we are all agreed that fish will and do hang about in the area of power lines. It seems also that they will be in the area just downstream of the cables, being either confused or unwilling to pass.

Would it be better to cast a longer line from above the wires or to go below the wires and cast a more square line? Or does that depend on the water we are fishing? It may seem like a silly question to the experts but to a novice, every little helps, as they say.

Would there be any way to alter my casting (rod swishing specifically) to enable fishing all the way through while still covering the water effectively? And also avoiding going zap bang .

[rpsalmon]

I'd be rather hesitant about casting a long line near such cables, especially during a high wind.

The angle at which to cast purely depends on the current/conditions etc. I tend to use a wide but stunted spey cast with my rod tip no higher than 45 degrees.

I have never come across a set of these wires that are so low that you would touch them with a rod, but obviously I would be wary of going to close to them. If the wires were actually humming I wouldn't fish within 20 yards of them!

[salmondan]

Thanks for your answers gents, looks like my initial survival instincts were correct after all.

[jjtt61]

dont doubt theories,heres a thought. in a house cables are under floor in walls & in celings, how about tropical fish tank,cables run through water in canopy over head,all cables are insulated but still give out some form of power field,how would this affect fish (goldfish/tropical) another thought could it just be a visible barrier in daylight, or clear water that fish may think predator or something ,have heard more experienced people say things like they wont pass bridge until dark, allbeit if it threatened fish why do they take

[rpsalmon]

There is a big difference between the household supply and god knows how many thousands of volts in high capacity overhead lines. The info I gave on AC DC currents was based on currents in the water, how much effect will be felt in the water from overhead lines is another matter. Perhaps the magnetic field from the overhead lines effects the oxygen content in water, I don't know, but what we do know is that when these cables aren't charged they don't hold the fish up.

[billytheghillie]

i there must be something in it RP. Just to add to subject- what would happen if electric eel was near cables? YES it is serious question.

[robbie]

Could the electric cables create a micro climate and disrupt the localised barometric pressure? How about contact EA biologists for their considered opinion?

[salmondan]

billytheghillie said:

i there must be something in it RP. Just to add to subject- what would happen if electric eel was near cables? YES it is serious question.

As far as I'm aware, nothing. There would need to be an earthing point close enough to the cables for any electrical discharge to take place.

[para1]

para1 said:

Sinktip,
I will try and let youk now ref "wires removed". They have recently remove wires from a favorite spot of mine (they have been there for years).
It is also a spot where I used to collect tobies , rapala's etc off of.
I know, I know, don't try this at home. never

An update on above.
It doesn't seem to have made any difference at this location so far, apart from not getting any gear off the wires.
Ther are fish showing in the area and a couple have been lost or caught.

[ibm59]

[quote author=para1
Ther are fish showing in the area and a couple have been lost or caught. [/quote]
I can confirm the lost part of P1 's post.

[jjtt61]

most gas pipelines are metal or in a metal host pipe when are river crossings and when you bury metal pipes in the ground ,an electrical current will set up as soon as you bury pipe,this is what causes pipe to carrode,engineeeers impress suitable currents(cp /sacrificial anodes) or set up permanant current within these pipes which changes the way the electrical current flows so as to stop corrosion, but these are not currents that are high such as HV overhead cables,